On more than one occasion I have been invited to contribute a recipe to a Jewish cookbook, and while I have contributed to a couple, most editors of such volumes will ask for recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. You can imagine: some kind of warm and fuzzy story about this wonderful grandma who stood in the kitchen wearing her apron cooking or baking some delicious dish that she used to watch her granny make, which she, in turn had learnt from her gran … and so on all the way back to Moses, when her great, great, great, great … ad infinitum grandmama invented something to give the wandering tribesman a break from eating manna. Unfortunately, I don’t have such a story and when I tell the cook book editor’s that the recipes I have from my grandma are not accompanied by any tales of nostalgia, I miss out!But I do have a tale behind this Lebanese rice though it’s not an ordinary story, nor particularly warm though it is definitely fuzzy, but that is only in regard to the details which is not the optimum when it comes to fuzzy. In any regard, my Safta was no ordinary granny. On the contrary, she was a trailblazing woman, born ahead of her time. She was rebellious, smart, and independent it’s high time I told her story. So when I decided to share the Lebanese rice recipe which is connected to her, I thought, the time is at hand … drum roll if you please…
My Safta was Miss Independence and at a very young age she decided to go and discover the world. So she followed her dream and left Syria where she’d been born and raised and headed to Beirut which was known as the Paris of the Middle East at that time. In those days there were no boarders so it was like going from Wagga Wagga to Sydney or to NYC from … from … a one horse town near the Canadian border (okay, so geography is NOT my strong point). Bright eyed and full of excitement my nanna headed to the Jewel of the Middle East, and not long after arriving in Beruit she met and fell in love with a handsome French officer who she married although he was not Jewish (which was a big deal in those days). Together they moved to France where she lived happily and bore two young daughters, Zelpa and Rachel However their happiness was destined to be short lived for soon after the birth of their second child WWII broke out. Safta always refused to talk about those times and all I know is that her husband was killed for marrying a Jewish woman and her daughters also did not survive the holocaust, though somehow she did escape the fate of so many others at the time. As soon as the war ended she headed back to Beirut a different woman. She worked hard saved and bought a boutique hotel. She built it up to be a successful establishment and she ran it like a tight ship. While having success gave her financial security she longed to have a child and being my Safta she chose to have my mum out of wedlock which was unheard of in those days, but Safta didn’t care. As the daughter of a successful but busy hotelier my mum grew up with maids and chefs. She attended a French-speaking school and all was well for a while…However things started to get tough for Jews in Beruit, and my Safta being who she is joined the resistance and began to smuggle Jews out of Lebanon to Israel. Among the people rescued was my mother who had only just reached the tender age of eleven. She was told not to worry and her mum would join her soon, but before she could, she was caught and thrown into prison and tortured for two years until she was finally released. Safta fled immediately with nothing but the clothes on her back leaving everything behind. Reunited with her daughter at last, Safta began a new life, yet again…My Safta wasn’t much of a cook, and my mother had no idea, but as women did back in those days, once she married she had to learn how.She never forgot eating in the kitchen of her mum’s hotel where the chef would cook her meals, and her favourite dish: a Lebanese rice, fluffy and full of flavour .Traditionally white rice itself is cooked with fine crispy noodles, but the chef would include my mum’s favourite nut, roasted almonds, and flavour it with my her favourite spice, cinnamon, for a bit of extra taste, and finally sultanas for a touch of sweetness. My mum has always had a sweet tooth. My mum recreated the dish and it became a staple every Friday night. Other ingredients were added over the years, and I continue to make this rice for my family. My safta and I were in a mutual adoration society so my mind fills with memories of her loving kindness whenever I make this favourite dish which her chef once made for my mum. Hmm, I better keep this story around for next time one of those cook book editors wants a story about a hand-me-down recipe. Maybe it fits the bill? No?
A little background about this rice;
This rice dish is claimed by both Lebanese and Egyptians. How do I know? My mum is Lebanese, and she said this rice dish originally came from Lebanon. My dad is Egyptian, and he says it's an original Egyptian creation. Not sure which country came up with this delicious dish first!
What really matters is that this dish is scrumptious and, and I'm sure you will too think so too.
The original rice dish, whether Egyptian or Lebanese, is quite simple. It consists of rice, noodles, and chopped parsley for garnish. Over time, my family has given this dish a significant makeover.
Notes:
Crispy Noodles
Every now and then, I cook an extra batch of noodles to make the dish extra crispy.
I present this rice in one of two ways, alternating between the two depending on what I feel like on the day:
Option 1:Cook the rice with the sultanas and noodles. Once it's cooked, stir in the remaining ingredients, garnish with pomegranate seeds and crispy noodles, and serve. This way, the rice will turn out nice and fluffy.
Option 2:Cook the rice, mix in half the nuts, and transfer the rice to a visually appealing bundt tin, giving you a beautifully presented rice dish. Garnish with the remaining nuts, onions, pomegranate, and crispy noodles. This rice will not be as fluffy, but it will still have a delicious flavour and texture.
My version of this rice dish is an enhanced version of Lebanese rice. I've added a lot of extra goodies, but you don't have to include all the extras. You can add one type of nut or no nuts at all. You can garnish with pomegranate or leave it out. This rice is very versatile and will t
taste marvellous with or without the addition of nuts and garnish.
Ingredients for rice
2 cups basmati rice or short grain rice
1 cup short cut, vermicelli pasta,
2 tablespoons butter (you can replace with oil)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sultanas
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon all spice
3 cups water (not hot) from the tap
Ingredients for Crispy vermicelli pasta garnish (optional) see notes
¼ cup short cut, vermicelli pasta
½-1 tablespoon butter
Ingredients for Nuts and garnish
¼ cup vermicelli pasta
¼ cup roasted pine nuts
¼ cup roasted almonds
¼ cup roasted hazelnuts
¼ cup chopped pistachios
½ Pomegranate of ruby red seeds
Ingredients for Caramelised onions
2 large onions sliced
4 tablespoons oil
Method for Caramelized Onions
Heat oil in a frying pan over low heat.
Add the onions and cook slowly for roughly 40 minutes, stirring occasionally until they become soft and a dark golden colour. Set aside.
Method for Crispy Vermicelli Pasta Garnish
Place a small pot over low-medium heat, add butter, and wait for it to melt.
Add vermicelli pasta and stir until golden in colour. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Method for Cooking Rice
Place a pot over medium heat, add olive oil and butter, and wait for the butter to melt. Add vermicelli pasta and stir until it turns golden.
Stir in rice and sultanas, ensuring the rice is well-coated with oil and butter and the sultanas are evenly distributed.
Stir in salt, spices, and water.
On high heat, bring the water to a boil. Once it has reached boiling point, reduce heat to low, cover with the lid, and cook the rice for 15-17 minutes.
Option 1
Remove the lid, allow the rice to cool, then stir in nuts and caramelised onions. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.
Option 2
Remove the lid and let the rice cool slightly. Stir in half the quantity of nuts and caramelised onions.
Transfer the rice to a solid molded cake tin.
Press down firmly on the rice so it's compact, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30-40 minutes.
Turn the cake tin right side up onto a serving dish and garnish with the remaining nuts, caramelised onions, and those beautiful, red pomegranate seeds.
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